Love's Not Away
by BadMonster-Fr
Summary: "See you soon ..." These words never ceased to haunt him for two weeks, he had hardly slept, thinking about the beautiful young blonde woman who had let him a little hope of finding her with her words. Basically, how Krillin and Eighteen end up together. I'm only making the translation of the original fiction by Gemini30, french writer. R&R !
1. Chapter 1

**Love's not away**

**Some years ago, I met somebody, and we quickly become friends. I know it's beggin like a blahblahblah about my life but I just wanted to said, she is somebody amazing. Being both Krilin & Eighteen fans, we were writing fanfictions at that time, and so she helped me a lot. So, right now, I wanted to share that one with you. The original fiction is in my own laguage, french, written by Gemini30 - find her on DeviantArt- and I really appreciate it, because the spirit of the characters are just really here. This is a fanfiction of 11 chapters. Hope you'll have a good time while reading it, as I had, times ago. Ps: Thanks so much Jen for the help !**

Chapter 1.

It had been raining for more than a day already but she did not move. She simply would not, because for her there was nothing that mattered anymore. Her eyes, no longer full of vibrant color and reflecting life, slowly closed. Although she technically didn't need to eat much, only a little bit to support the human half of herself, she hadn't eaten anything in the two weeks and four days since she had started to look for her brother.

A boy identical to herself but with jet-black hair and darker skin, he had been a victim of Cell who had absorbed him shortly before she suffered the same fate.

She had been sitting against the same tree for ten days now, meditating and waiting on death. She cast one look up at the sky before fully closing her eyes.

"See you soon..." Is what she had said to him when he last saw her. The small phrase had been haunting him for two weeks now. He hardly slept, thinking about the beautiful young blonde woman who had kept his hopes up with those three little words.

Krillin tossed and turned in his bed for a little wile longer before he gave up and surrendered. He got up and changed into his training gi. Opening the door softly, he looked around to see if Master Roshi had returned from his party with other old martial arts experts from all over the country.

He closed the door behind him before taking off in the sky. He needed to unwind and let off some steam or else he would drive himself crazy, wondering and hoping against hope he would see her again.

He softly landed in the middle of a forest and started sparring against an invisible partner, kicking and punching into the air around him. He then concentrated his energy into one point, a solid disc of Ki formed along his arm going up until it floated above his hand, spinning fast and with deadly precision.

"Distructo Disc!"

Krillin smiled proudly as he watched a rock split cleanly into two after the disc went through it. This was his technique, his invention and he was very fond of it because it had come in handy numerous times. On Namek it had helped him save Gohan and injure Frieza. Though the discs he produced today were a lot stronger than those back then.

Time went by fast, before he knew it he had been training for a good couple of hours. Krillin figured it would be best to go back home now. Master Roshi would probably be worried since he had been gone since early in the morning and he knew the old Master had most likely returned from his party by now.

Grabbing his keys from a nearby tree stump, Krillin shot up in the air. His thoughts immediately drifted back to her.

"See you soon." Just thinking about those three simple words gave him chills, knowing full well that those words could mean she really did want to see him again. He was so caught up in those thoughts that he didn't pay attention to his surrounding resulting in him colliding with a pterodactyl. The beast screeched loudly causing Krillin to drop his keys in shock. Only now did he realize it was raining.

"I'm really in the west now!", he sighed as he descended to the ground, fully expecting having to search for his keys for hours in the wooded area. To his relieve however, he found them fairly quick.

Krillin got ready to blast off once again when something caught him off guard. He turned his head and was greeted with a sight so unbelievable he had to blink several times, he even wiped his eyes just to see if he was not hallucinating.

Sure enough, what he saw was real, not some figment of his imagination.

It was her.

'Eighteen.'

Cautiously, he approached her. Her eyes were closed, her clothes were drenched in water and what shocked him most was the fact that they were still the same clothes as the ones he had seen her last in. He bend down and gently shook her shoulder. There was no reaction.

Krillin feared the worst, she was very pale and felt cold to the touch. He took her vitals, they seemed to be normal but he wasn't taking any chances.

Carefully, he scooped her up in his arms and shot up in the sky heading back towards Kame House in the ever falling rain.

Meanwhile at Kame Island, Bulma was talking to Master Roshi. It was now two in the afternoon and she hadn't seen Krillin anywhere on the island.

"Where is Krillin?" She asked suddenly.

Master Roshi shrugged. "Kami knows where he is right now? I haven't seen him ever since I got back from my party this morning."

Bulma frowned at that, "I think he's changed."

"Really, you think so?"

"You live with him on the island and you haven't noticed?", Bulma asked in disbelieve.

"Hm...no."

Suddenly the door opened, banging against the wall from the sheer force behind it. Bulma and Master Roshi immediately got up and ran towards Krillin who stood on the threshold, carrying someone. Both were soaking wet. He looked from Bulma to his master before opening his mouth to speak.

"Hey, help me! I can't hold this door back longer with my foot!"

Bulma hastily took a hold of the door so he could step in. After closing it, she examined the situation before her. She motioned for him to follow her, giving Master Roshi a stern look that clearly said not to follow them, the last thing she needed was him trying to sneak a peek at the unconscious woman in Krillin's arms.

Krillin followed Bulma into the spare room they had.

"Lay her down on the bed, then go get me a towel and a clean dry t-shirt." She ordered. Krillin did what she asked of him, returning with the articles she had requested. Bulma proceeded to undress the woman to her underwear before drying her off and changing her into the t-shirt. She then got the blankets and covered her with them to keep her warm. She placed a towel on the pillows so it wouldn't get too wet.

Both her and Krillin retreated to the living room after she was done.

"So Krillin, who is that woman?" Bulma asked.

"Uhm she is..."

"Your new girlfriend?" Master Roshi asked.

"No! No it's..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by both Bulma and Master Roshi.

"You know you can tell us anything right?"

Krillin nodded.

"Well the woman I brought in, it's Eighteen."

"Eighteen?!"

Master Roshi stepped back a little at that revelation. Both he and Bulma expressed a tinge of fright at hearing that name. They had never really seen her up close before but had heard about her no less.

"Krillin, you know you are our friend and we don't judge you but...this is a little..."

"Dangerous?!" Master Roshi finished Bulma's sentence for her.

"Dangerous?"

"Yes! She's a cyborg with phenomenal powers!"

"Well right now she is sleeping, what is dangerous about that?

Bulma and Master Roshi were silent after that. After a while, Bulma bid her goodbyes and went home. Master Roshi hastily grabbed some of his magazines and cleared them away, not wanting the person upstairs to see them, they might upset her. He winced at the thought of what she could do to him.

Krillin had gone up to his own room, he was currently lying down on his bed.

For Eighteen things were everything but calm, she was having a nightmare, reliving the horrible events that had led to Cell's perfection, being without her brother and haunted by memories of Gero's lab that were frightening to say the least. She trashed around in the bed, whimpering.

Krillin sat up, alerted by the faint noises from the other room. He went over to her and sat beside her taking one of her hands in his for a moment. That seemed to calm her down. He wondered if him carrying her had had the same effect on her too, had she felt safe, felt something at all?

"Probably not" Krillin whispered to no one in particular as he let go of her hand.

After a few moments, Eighteen opened her eyes and sat up. She was greeted by Krillin who broadly smiled up at her.

"Where am I and what am I doing here?" She asked narrowing her eyes at him.

"You're at Kame Island, you were in bad condition when I found you, you needed help so I...

"I don't need your help, monk!" She spat out.

"Very well."

Krillin stopped smiling but was still relieved to see that she was doing okay. Just the fact that she was made him feel better too. He stood up and walked towards the door until her voice stopped him. He turned back around. She wasn't looking at him, instead she was looking down as her hands gripped the sheets tightly. He carefully approached her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked softly.

Krillin had no time to react when she suddenly and forcefully grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him closer to her as she looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears and full of anger. It was the first time he saw her crying.

"Why?!" She yelled at him.

"You...I thought.."

"Why are you helping me? Didn't you realize that maybe I didn't need your help nor that I don't want to be here?!"

Krillin bit his lip, at a loss for words, her grip on his collar tightened making it a little harder to breathe.

"Answer me!"

He swallowed thickly as he looked into her eyes, the look she gave him was chilling him to the bone but nonetheless, he decided to just get it out.

"I did it because I...I love you." He said softly but loud enough for her to hear.

Her reaction was immediate, she gasped as she looked at him in disbelieve, there were no longer angry tears in her eyes. She released his shirt and Krillin rubbed his throat before standing up from his chair. Eighteen rose off the bed too then slumped forwards into him. Krillin was at a loss of what to do until his senses came back to him. He gently embraced her and he felt her lean into him more. He then realized she had fallen back asleep. He gently laid her back down before touching her forehead with his. She was hot to the touch. She had a fever.

She must've been ailing badly when she had grabbed him. Krillin covered her back up with the blankets, he would wait till tomorrow and try and talk to her again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

White, the ceiling was white. It was the first thing she saw. She didn't know where she was nor how she got there. She turned her head towards the window and discovered the calm blue ocean. Something clicked in place, she was at Kame House, a place she had visited just once before.

The rain had stopped. She got up from the bed and found a chair with her clothes on top of it, washed. She was clad in a wide black t-shirt and her hair was a mess.

Eighteen observed a small bathroom adjoining the room she was standing in. She undressed and got in the shower to clean herself. Afterward she put on her freshly cleaned clothes and sat on the bed.

She couldn't remember much from the day before, of what happened. Her only memory was of the gray sky and the beginning of an conversation with Krillin.

"_Where am I? What am I doing here?"_

"_You're at Kame island. I found you and you looked like you really needed help so I..."_

"_I don't need your help, Monk!"_

"_Very well."_

Krillin. It was he who brought her here.

'It's cute.' She thought to herself as she walked over to the mirror to adjust her hair and necklace before opening the door to leave the room. She walked into the living room where she noticed Krillin who was fast asleep on the couch. He looked really tired.

She walked out of the house and readied herself to fly off when a voice stopped her.

"Hello."

Eighteen turned around to face a large sea turtle. She looked surprised when she realized a turtle had actually spoken to her and was starting up a conversation now.

"You are Eighteen, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Krillin told me about you. He didn't want to bother you so he went to sleep on the couch. His room is right next to the one you were resting in."

"That's nice but I already told him I don't need him nor his help." With that she shot up into the sky only to be stopped by Krillin who had flown up next to her before he stopped in front of her. He hid a hand behind his head as he looked at her, his cheeks coloring red.

"You...you don't want to stay?"

"Why are you asking me that? You should know the answer."

"I guessed you could not have anywhere to go?"

"..."

"We don't have to be in each others space all day. You have your own room and you don't have to be with us around dinner time and I can.."

"It's okay, there is no need for this bullshit." Eighteen glared at him before turning back towards the roof of the house.

She opened the window to the room she had previously been in and crawled inside before turning her gaze back towards the ocean through the opened window.

Krillin observed her for a few moments.

'She's so beautiful.' He thought to himself. He quickly looked away when Eighteen shot him an icy glare. He spend the rest of the day watching TV until it was dinner time.

Krillin carefully made his way up to Eighteen's room and knocked on the door.

"What do you want?" He heard her say through the closed door.

"It's...it's dinnertime."

Eighteen opened the door, not sparing him another glance she walked down the stairs and sat at the end of the table. Roshi was so frightened that he didn't dare to look at her. Krillin sat at the other end after he placed the dishes and the food on the table. Dinner passed without further incidents.

Afterward, Eighteen went back up to her room while Krillin cleaned.

The first seven days passed by in a similar fashion with Eighteen staying in her room most of the time.

Krillin walked up to the stairs and knocked on the door.

"What is it this time?"

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Yes."

He stepped into the room to face her.

"I was wondering f you'd like to come shopping with me? Get you some new clothes and other necessities?"

Eighteen shrugged, "Why not?"

"Is that a yes?"

"Could be, baldy."

With that she pushed past him out of the room, a small smile could be seen on her otherwise neutral face. It was the first time he saw her smiling. They set course for the Northern Capital.

Along the way, Krillin flew behind Eighteen, admiring her. He found her very graceful. When they arrived in the city they went to the nearest clothing store. Krillin followed Eighteen to the fitting rooms but she stopped him.

"In your dreams, baldy. Wait for me at the checkout."

"Okay." Krillin couldn't help the twinge of disappointment that seeped through in his response.

After about half an hour, Eighteen came out of the fitting rooms with her arms full of clothes. She went to the checkout where Krillin was waiting for her.

She had four pair of pants, some t-shirts and sweatshirts plus two pairs of shoes.

"That will be a total of 2952 zenni. Are you paying sir?"

Krillin nodded taking his card from his pocket and handing it to the clerk. Krillin carried the bags after taking them from the salesperson, he refused to let Eighteen hold on to them with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry about it, I'll carry them for you."

When they arrived back at the island, Krillin put her bags in her room for her. Then he offered her a cocktail.

"No." Eighteen replied.

Krillin left the room with a smile. Once he was gone, the cyborg packed away her belongings and changed into one of her new outfits. It consisted of faded jeans, a light blue t-shirt and black sneakers. Satisfied with what she saw in the mirror, she went to sit on her bed thinking about Krillin. He was so nice to her.

'But what to think of that?' She frowned. 'He's short, bald...but nice and even a little cute. Why did I think that of him?'

She realized she had not been the nicest person to him and he was probably a little sad over that. She sighed closing her eyes before she smiled slightly. She got up and left the room to join him in the living room. Krillin was seated on the couch, reading a book.

"Hey baldy, How about that cocktail now?"

The ex-monk looked at her, stunned. He smiled while nodding a yes to her. They took their drink in silence but it was not uncomfortable. Eighteen thought to herself that she should be nicer to him, after all he was not obligated to help her and do all of this for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

Eighteen had been living in Kame House for about four months, She and Krillin grew a little closer though their conversations never went very far nor did they stay in the same room very often.

But there was a change in the cyborg, she didn't stay cooped up in her room all the time anymore, even spending time on the beach occasionally which didn't go unnoticed by Krillin.

Said person was in the bathroom, checking his reflection. He had now grown a thick tuft of hair. He ran his hand through it sighing as he hesitated to take the electric razor. The growth of his hair did not displease him, it just changed his routine drastically. Usually he would shave every morning and wax his head to keep it smooth.

He remembered the phrase Goku had used to describe it.

"_**Your head looks like a billiard ball!" **_

Krillin smiled, Goku was missing out on a lot but he also knew his oldest friend was happy where he was right now, he had smiled when he had said goodbye. After these brief recollections, he turned away from the mirror and finally left the room.

"There is nothing wrong with change so long it's in the right direction." He said softly to himself.

He passed Eighteen's bedroom on his way down and wondered what she had been up too. She seemed to enjoy the company of the large sea turtle that lived with them on the island. Somehow that was not surprising since she didn't really talk much.

Suddenly he felt himself falling and a big 'patatrack!' was heard throughout the house as he promptly fell down the stairs after missing a step. He fell into the bookshelf taking it down with him.

Master Roshi got up quickly as he witnessed Krillin's fall, hoping his disciple was okay after that. Once he saw the damage wasn't that significant he laughed before walking off to go lounge outside on his beach chair hoping to catch some sun.

Krillin, who was still buried under a pile of books, pouted at his master's behavior.

"Is your new haircut bothering you, baldy?"

Eighteen was looking down on him with her hands on her hips. She was wearing one of the shirts she had bought with Krillin, a red one which was her favorite.

Krillin put his hand behind his head feeling slightly embarrassed. Eighteen rolled her eyes before kneeling down to his height. She grabbed the books off his head as she looked him in the eyes.

"My nickname for you has no meaning now that you have hair."

"Sorry." He replied with a smile.

"Why are you apologizing, you haven't done anything wrong." She said patting him lightly on the head with a book.

She put away the few she had left in her hands before looking up at her room but before she took a step in that direction, she leaned against the wall and turned slightly towards him.

"I prefer you like that, it's better than having to look at something that resembles the moon." She said with a small smile.

Krillin gasped as he watched her disappear up the stairs and into her room.

"I did well not to shave it off then!" Krillin said softly to himself. Above him, Eighteen shut her door, causing a book that was balancing on the edge of the shelf to fall back on his head.

"Ouch!"

Eighteen shook her head as she thought to herself that Krillin certainly was something else, a real character sometimes.

Lately he had occupied her thoughts more and more and she blamed it on the fact that they were now practically living together. She shrugged it off as she walked into the bathroom, splashing her face with water from the sink.

She peered at her reflection in the mirror, more specifically her eyes. Slowly her reflection changed as she stared harder. Her hair turned black, her facial features became a little sharper. She did not see herself in the mirror but her brother as she thought of him.

Where was Seventeen? She truly had no idea. Was he alright? They had always been together, now he was out there by himself...too many questions took over her mind and she preferred not think about them.

"Really, Seventeen. I never thought the day would come I'd say this but I miss you."

Meanwhile around 5800 miles away...

"Achoo!"

A young man with shoulder length jet black hair, piercing blue eyes and an orange bandana around his neck sneezed. He cursed as his sneeze had driven away the prey he had been hunting for dinner. He slung his gun over his shoulder as he ran. Looking up at the sky a thought of his sister crossed his mind.

Back on the island, it was now 11:30 pm. The young woman glanced at the clock once more before going over to her closet to change into shorts and a tank top. She looked out of the window before jumping out and landing on the sand below.

This was the time she knew for sure everyone else was asleep and wouldn't bother her, the old man and Krillin had already retired for the night.

She approached the water and slowly dipped her feet in the shallow stream that reached the beach, it felt nice. She then rose up in the air and just flew right above the ocean making sure to let her feet remain in the water, occasionally dipping lower till her knees.

Meanwhile, Krillin was not sleeping at all, instead he was reading a book about martial arts. He already knew a lot about the subject but it wouldn't hurt to keep up with all the latest developments in the field, specially since he was so passionate about it.

He decided to take a little break and headed downstairs to the kitchen where he reached into the fridge to grab a small snack. He decided on a doughnut, his gaze wandered towards the window as he ate. He squinted his eyes at what he saw, it looked like someone was out there swimming. He blinked as recognized Eighteen's silhouette.

"What is she doing, swimming at this hour?" He wondered out loud.

He didn't go outside not wanting to disturb her. But that did not stop him from wondering why she was out so late to swim.

"If she needed a swimsuit, she could have asked me." He muttered while he returned to his room.

The next day he went to do what he always did, he knocked on Eighteen's door to tell her breakfast was served but he didn't receive an answer.

"Maybe she is still sleeping." He pondered as she silently made his way downstairs, being very careful to take each step so he wouldn't fall down and embarrass himself again.

As he stepped into the living room, he was surprised to find Eighteen on the couch watching TV. She had never done that before.

"Hello, Eighteen."

"Hello."

"Do you want some breakfast?"

"Yes."

Krillin went to the kitchen, followed by Eighteen who sat down at the kitchen table watching as Krillin prepared the table setting it up with various items such as bowls, utensils, cereal and fresh fruit.

When he finally finished and sat down he spoke.

"So uhm did you sleep well?"

"As per usual."

Krillin nodded at that.

"Would you come with me today?"

"Where too?" Eighteen asked coldly.

"Well...to buy some clothes, maybe go to the cinema..." He trailed off.

"..."

Eighteen didn't look at him. They finished their breakfast when Roshi walked in. Krillin left the kitchen followed by the pretty blonde.

"When are we leaving?" Eighteen suddenly asked.

"Whenever you're ready."

"Let me get changed and then I'll be there...Krillin." She said with a small smile.

"I..I'll wait for you." Krillin blushed slightly, this was the first time she had called him by his actual name. She usually used nicknames such as monk or egg crane. Or even baldy sometimes even though he had hair now but never ever Krillin.

He decided to wait for her on the beach.

Eighteen had changed in some of her finer clothes before joining him. Together they rose up and blasted off into the sky in the direction of West City.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

As they arrived in the capital of the West, they landed in a deserted street so they wouldn't attract attention to themselves. They went to the City center looking for a suitable shop. They passed several until the young woman entered the one at the end of the street, motioning Krillin to follow her. Once inside, he lost sight of her for the store was packed with other women and girls. Until he felt a light touch on his shoulder which surprised him.

"Hey."

"Haa!"

Krillin was relieved to see her as he let out a small sigh, smiling a little embarrassed at his own behavior. Eighteen smiled back before going through the clothes on a rack near them. After she had chosen a few outfits she went to the fitting rooms to try them on. Just like last time, Krillin waited out front, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms wondering how long it would take for her to try on the pile of clothes she had taken in there with her.

He was surprised to hear her voice just a few minutes later.

"Krillin, come and see."

Krillin arched his brows at that, almost not believing his ears but he went over to the fitting rooms anyway. Eighteen walked out of her stall in a beautiful black dress which was formfitting and reached her ankles. Krillin couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"This is a Goddess..I'm in Heaven.." He thought to himself.

"You're not saying anything, you don't like it?"

"Hn? Oh yeah! Yeah, you're perfect!" Krillin hastily said as he woke up from his dreamy state.

"Are you sure? You look kind of shocked."

"T..this is the first time I see you in a dress like that and I did not expect for it to look so good on you."

Eighteen looked surprised at his revelation before she grabbed a blue and a yellow shirt which she held up in front of her as she turned to face Krillin again.

Without hesitation Krillin told her he liked the blue one better because it matched her eyes.

After this they went to pay for Eighteen's purchases. When they walked out of the store, they ran into Bulma who approached them first.

"Oh hi Krillin! Eh hello Eighteen."

Eighteen acknowledged her presence with a wave of her hand.

"Hey Bulma." Krillin replied. "How are you?"

"I'm well, what about you?"

"Very good, thanks."

Krillin felt a small tug on his pants and looked down at Trunks. The little boy was looking up at him. He bent down and lifted him up. Trunks tried to call him by his name.

"Killin, Killin!"

"No Trunks, It's K**r**illin."

"This baby is Trunks?" Eighteen asked suddenly.

"Well yeah, he's Vegeta's son." Bulma replied.

"Isn't he supposed to be a little taller?" Eighteen asked frowning.

"It's complicated, I'll explain it you in a little bit"

Bulma watched them before addressing Krillin again.

"You'll come by the house? Just for a little bit, have something to drink?"

"Well...sure why not?" Krillin said as he turned towards Eighteen.

She did not seem to object his decision. When they arrived at Capsule Corp, Bulma asked them to wait on the terrace for her. When she came back with a tray of drinks, Trunks was happily playing with a ball, he was having an amazingly good time it seemed. Krillin was talking to Eighteen, trying to explain the different future without really telling her that it was actually her and her brother who'd brought such devastation to the world in that timeline. Bulma gave them their drinks and steered the conversation towards other topics such as Roshi and Yamcha.

"Oh and I wonder where Launch is now?"

They did try to include Eighteen in their conversation but it wasn't very successful. After a little wile, they said their goodbyes and took off back towards Kame Island. When they descended onto the warm sand, they heard voices coming from the house.

Krillin recognized the voice of Yamcha who seemed to be having a discussion with Roshi and Pu'ar.

"What? That cyborg lives here?!"

"Yes but she's n.." Yamcha didn't let Roshi finish that sentence though for he immediately rambled on.

"I just don't understand how Krillin can be around her. I mean she is pretty, I'll admit that but she's truly a monster!"

"Maybe but she doesn't disturb us, she's actually quite nice." Roshi countered.

"Perhaps, but in the future she is responsible for millions of deaths! How can you stay so calm and live under one roof with her?!"

Krillin turned towards Eighteen who had heard every word just like he had. She dropped the bag she had in her hands and turned towards the ocean, just staring out over the vast water.

"Eighteen, he d..." But she cut his sentence off with a small wave of her hand. She didn't look back at him.

"Thanks for your kindness."

With that she flew off at full speed, Krillin couldn't even try and stop her as he watched her go. His eyes misted over with silent tears as he kept staring at the direction she'd disappeared in.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

"Eighteen!"

Krillin reached out to nothingness as the young woman had disappeared just moments ago, leaving him alone on the beach. He grasped at the air as if he could catch her that way but knowing it was futile.

Trembling, he closed his eyes. It wasn't until Yamcha and Roshi pulled him back that he came back to his senses.

"What is it, Krillin?"

"You!"

Krillin lashed out, punching Yamcha in the face which resulted in him falling down, spitting blood as he landed on the sand.

Krillin grabbed him by the collar.

"Why did you say that?!"

"Wh..what?" Yamcha replied, still dazed from the hit his friend had given him.

"You just destroyed everything I managed to create with her in a few seconds! Do you even realize what she heard? She must feel so guilty now for crimes she didn't even commit!"

"I..I didn't know she was here!" Yamcha found it hard to speak correctly because of Krillin's tight hold on his shirt.

"So you talk behind people's backs!"

"Krillin! Let go of him, its not worth it!" Master Roshi ordered. Krillin did what he was told, turned around and blasted off in pursuit of Eighteen. She had to come back, she had no where else to go.

Meanwhile, the young woman was flying with tears trickling down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped at them as thoughts ran through her mind.

So this is how everyone saw her? As a monster? As something that must be feared? In their eyes she wasn't even a human being, just a number. Number 18, did she even have a regular name? She didn't remember, couldn't remember. It was so painful, in that instant she had been reminded of who...or rather what she was.

"Just a stupid cyborg!"

But she had to wonder why this affected her so much now. Usually something like this or being called a machine, a tin can, didn't bother her. So why did it now? As the thought crossed her mind she already knew the answer. It was because of him.

Krillin, the small monk. She could not hurt him and yet she believed that if she were stay by his side she somehow someday would. If she really was a murderer like people had proclaimed, she could not take that risk.

She landed at the place where she had kissed him, there was waterfall flowing down the jagged rocks now. She looked at herself in the water's reflection and saw the expression of sadness on her face. It was a horrible feeling to experience, she felt more tears cascade down her cheeks, blurring her vision.

Krillin had looked everywhere he could imagine for the missing woman. It was getting late, the sky was already streaking with colors of sunset, it wouldn't be long before it was completely dark out. He had looked in all the places they had been together, like the mall. Frantically he flew back to the place he had found her first, the forest. He landed swiftly, the now darkened sky was littered with stars.

He cautiously explored the area when he suddenly heard the crunching sound of leaves that were being stepped on. A small smile broke out on his face, fully expecting Eighteen to come forth but instead he had scared off a cougar which fled away at the sight of him.

He looked down as he sat down in the same spot, against the same tree where he had found Eighteen a few months earlier. He looked up at the stars, thinking about the one he loved. He longed to see her again. He would do everything, would spend his life searching for her if he had too.

Krillin stood up and set course to the last place he hopefully could find her. When he reached his destination, he landed gently and explored the area softly calling out her name.

"Eighteen?"

No response. He continued his search, this time raising his voice as he called out for her.

"Eighteen!"

His mind went back to that one moment, the moment after he made his wish.

_The young man in the purple attire didn't understand it._

"_Why would you wish for that, Krillin?"_

"_Well, having to walk around with a bomb in your body can't be too thrilling!"_

"_You are too kind." Gohan commented._

"_Sorry Yamcha, I didn't mean to steal your wish of getting your girlfriend a necklace."_

"_Huh? No way man, are you stupid? That was just a joke! I would never ask the dragon for something silly as that!"_

"_Krillin, why did you wish for Seventeen too?"_

"_Ah! Well...eh you see...it's true that I like Eighteen but she's not made for me. Seventeen is a better match for her. I just want her to be happy that's all."_

"_You speak of love right?" Piccolo asked. "I'll never understand it."_

_Suddenly, the young cyborg sprang forth from her hiding place._

"_You fool! Seventeen is my twin brother!"_

_Everyone turned to look at her. Krillin began to feel uncomfortable..._

"_But don't think I'm available to you now and don't expect me to thank you for removing my bomb either, skull egg!" _

_With that she turned around, a slight breeze blew over when she turned back around to face him._

"_See you."_

If only she could be like that this time, just come out of nowhere and give him a little hope.

He flew to where she and Vegeta had fought but once again the place was deserted. He started to cry, the tears flowing freely down his cheeks. In a last ditch effort, he raised his voice once again.

"Eighteen! If you can hear me, please come back! You're not like that and I know it! Please, you don't have to feel bad, what Yamcha said...it has no meaning, it's not important because it's not true! And...I...I love you! Eighteen!"

He fell to his knees, tears falling on the pavement as his last hope of finding her slowly diminished.

"I love you..." He repeated softly.

Eighteen looked down on the figure on the road as she was leaning against one of the higher rocks. She now knew why.

Krillin heard a noise but before he could properly look up and identify it, there was a softness against his mouth, he leaned into the tender kiss, their first kiss. When they parted, their eyes met. There wasn't a word spoken as Eighteen ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, hugging him slightly. In silence, they stood up and flew back to Kame house.

When they arrived they both went up stopping in front of Eighteen's room.

She softly kissed his cheek before stepping in the room closing the door behind her.

Krillin just stood there for a few moments before going back to his own room and closing the door behind him as well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

'This is a dream.'

He really thought it had been a dream, it was just not possible. Eighteen could not have kissed him and yet...it was indeed what had happened. Krillin didn't dare to leave his room just yet, fearing he would do something stupid in front of the beautiful cyborg. He didn't think he could confront her gentle eyes.

He turned in his bed facing the window. He was staring out of the window when suddenly the door opened. He hastily closed his eyes pretending to be asleep.

Eighteen slowly made her way over to his bed and sat down, gently calling his name.

"Krillin, wake up."

He was trapped, Krillin turned around slowly opening his eyes. He got up and looked up at her.

Eighteen brushed his lips with hers before regarding him for a moment.

"Listen Krillin, I think you and I could try."

"T..try?"

"Yes, I have feelings for you but...I'm not sure about their nature. I want to be sure."

With that she left the room to go back to hers where she fell back on the bed. She thought she had done well. She would be sure of her feelings for him, know why she felt more for him. She rubbed her forehead before getting up and changing into a two piece red bathing suit under her regular clothes. She made her way to the living-room where she ran into Roshi and Turtle.

"Well hello, Eighteen. Can you tell Krillin that we're leaving for the day? My sister invited us for lunch and we'll be back tonight."

Eighteen nodded and the two left by boat. Eighteen grabbed a book and started reading it on the couch when Krillin walked in. He was wearing blue and black shorts and a white t-shirt.

"The old man and the turtle went away for the day."

Then she got up and took off her top revealing her new bikini underneath. While walking towards the door and outside she removed the remainder of her clothing before going into the cool water of the ocean. Surprised, Krillin followed her out and watched her swim for a little while.

"You're not coming in?" She asked suddenly.

"I...I'll come in."

He took off his shirt and jumped in the water. He swam for a bit before approaching Eighteen. She splashed him with the water. Krillin laughed before splashing water back to her. This little game lasted for about ten minutes until Eighteen stopped and got out of the water. She laid herself down on the warm sand of the beach. Krillin also got out and sat next to her. There was a moment of silence in which Eighteen just observed the small man next to her who was staring out over the water.

Without warning, she leaned in and grabbed a hold of his head planting a passionate kiss on his lips which took him by surprise. When it was done, his face was beet red. Eighteen smiled at him like she had never done before. A genuine and content smile as she slid her fingers through his wet hair. Krillin kissed her in return, tucking a blond strand of her hair behind her ears, hugging her close as he broke the kiss. She let him do as he pleased, his fingers gently stroking her hair as she snuggled against him. Krillin took her hand in his and she intertwined their fingers as they gazed intently into each other's eyes. Until a low rumbling sound in the distance distracted them. There were people water-skiing.

"I'd like to try that one day." Eighteen mused.

"If you want, I can teach you how to surf?" Krillin suggested.

"You know how to surf?"

Krillin chuckled at that.

"I live by the ocean...I have two boards in the attic but I rarely take them out."

She gave him a small kiss on the forehead before he stood up to retrieve the boards. He had to move some boxes around before he found the first one, it was blue and white kind of representing the waves of the ocean. Bulma had given it to him a few years back. Then he found the other one, he had bought that after that first world tournament he had died at. It was red and black with a white shark painted on.

He went down and walked out to Eighteen who was waiting for him.

"Which one would you like to have?" He asked.

"I don't know. You should pick one which is in harmony with my eyes." She teased.

"Very funny...I was going to offer you this one since it goes with your swimsuit instead." Krillin said handing her the red one.

Eighteen took the board from him. She waited for instructions from Krillin.

"I'm listening."

Krillin advised her to first train as to keep her balance on the board. He explained the basics of surfing and then they went into the water, face down on the board. The small man looked for a wave. Seeing one, he told Eighteen to watch him as he concentrated on his movements. He suddenly stood up straight on the board riding into the wave following along the current of it which resulted in him making a small pirouette.

Afterward he returned to join Eighteen's side.

"Want to try balancing on the board first?" He asked.

"Okay, I have a lovely teacher."

Krillin laughed at that before floating up and out of the water. It was easier for him to help Eighteen try and stay on the board this way. He gently grabbed her by the hips as to support her but she was already doing very well for a beginner. When she got the hang of it, she and Krillin held a little contest. A large wave passed and they surfed right into it, neither wanting to fall down and lose but unfortunately for Krillin, Eighteen chose that moment to pass him and shoot him a smile which broke his concentration. He promptly fell of his board.

Eighteen swam back to the spot she had seen him fall off. Krillin surfaced, sputtering and spitting out water.

"Don't laugh." He said with a smile. Eighteen did so anyway before swimming back towards the shore and getting out of the water. They laid their boards on the beach before returning to the house. Eighteen laid down on the couch while Krillin put on a shirt and grabbed some fruit from the kitchen.

"Thought you'd like a little snack." He said as he joined her.

"Thank you."

She took an apple and bit into it. Krillin munched on a banana. After wards they decided to stay in the house and watch some TV. The clock announced it was 12 in the afternoon.

"Would you like to get some lunch in town?"

"Yes, it could be fun." Eighteen answered with a smile.


End file.
